Abstract: A manufacturing system for manufacturing a stator for an electric machine, in particular an electric motor, wherein the stator has a main part and a plurality of bent and/or straight bar conductors. The manufacturing system has the following: a bending machine for bending free ends of the bar conductors, a spreading machine for spreading the free ends of the bar conductors in the radial direction, a welding machine for welding the free ends of at least two bar conductors, and a holding device for the stator. The holding device has at least one first set of fingers for engaging between the bar conductors at a first end face of the main part. The holding device can be secured to the bending machine, the spreading machine, and the welding machine. The manufacturing system facilitates an accelerated and inexpensive manufacture of stators with bar conductors.